diff --git a/announce.sh b/announce.sh
index 815e3ba..7d2f3b1 100755
--- a/announce.sh
+++ b/announce.sh
@@ -67,6 +67,12 @@ fi
 # fails because there are no other tags, we will produce the entire
 # history.
 PREVIOUS_VERSION=$(git describe --abbrev=0 ${VERSION}^ || echo "")
+if [[ "$PREVIOUS_VERSION" = "" ]]; then
+    # There was no previous tag, so we're looking for the full history
+    # of the project.
+    PREVIOUS_VERSION=$(git rev-list --max-parents=0 HEAD)
+    first_release="--first-release"
+fi
 
 # Extract the tag message by parsing the git show output, which looks
 # something like:
@@ -135,6 +141,7 @@ release-notes \
     $email_tags \
     --series $SERIES \
     $stable \
+    $first_release \
     . "$PREVIOUS_VERSION" "$VERSION" \
     $include_pypi_link \
     | tee $relnotes_file
diff --git a/releasetools/cmds/release_notes.py b/releasetools/cmds/release_notes.py
index 69cf083..4639241 100644
--- a/releasetools/cmds/release_notes.py
+++ b/releasetools/cmds/release_notes.py
@@ -45,6 +45,11 @@ def main():
                         default=False,
                         help='include a pypi hyperlink for the library',
                         )
+    parser.add_argument('--first-release',
+                        action='store_true',
+                        default=False,
+                        help='this is the first release of the project',
+                        )
     parser.add_argument("--skip-requirement-merges",
                         action='store_true', default=False,
                         help="skip requirement update commit messages"
@@ -108,6 +113,7 @@ def main():
         email_tags=args.email_tags,
         include_pypi_link=args.include_pypi_link,
         changes_only=args.changes_only,
+        first_release=args.first_release,
     )
     print(notes.encode('utf-8'))
     return 0
diff --git a/releasetools/release_notes.py b/releasetools/release_notes.py
index 5dd8f9e..2796888 100644
--- a/releasetools/release_notes.py
+++ b/releasetools/release_notes.py
@@ -73,6 +73,9 @@ We are {{ emotion }} to announce the release of:
 
 {{ project }} {{ end_rev }}: {{ description }}
 
+{% if first_release -%}
+This is the first release of {{project}}.
+{%- endif %}
 {% if series -%}
 This release is part of the {{series}} {% if stable_series %}stable {% endif %}release series.
 {%- endif %}
@@ -108,6 +111,7 @@ NOTE: Skipping requirement commits...
 {% for change in changes -%}
 {{ change }}
 {% endfor %}
+{% if not first_release -%}
 Diffstat (except docs and test files)
 -------------------------------------
 
@@ -121,6 +125,7 @@ Requirements updates
 {% for change in requirement_changes -%}
 {{ change }}
 {% endfor %}
+{%- endif %}
 {% endif %}
 """
 
@@ -189,6 +194,7 @@ def generate_release_notes(library, library_path,
                            email_to, email_reply_to, email_tags,
                            include_pypi_link,
                            changes_only,
+                           first_release,
                            ):
     """Return the text of the release notes.
 
@@ -214,6 +220,8 @@ def generate_release_notes(library, library_path,
         page.
     :param changes_only: Boolean indicating whether to limit output to
         the list of changes, without any extra data.
+    :param first_release: Boolean indicating whether this is the first
+        release of the project
 
     """
 
@@ -321,6 +329,7 @@ def generate_release_notes(library, library_path,
         'email_reply_to': email_reply_to,
         'email_tags': email_tags,
         'reno_notes': reno_notes,
+        'first_release': first_release,
     })
     if include_pypi_link:
         params['pypi_url'] = PYPI_URL_TPL % library_name